But she says she’s concerned that B.C. and other western provinces would be vastly under-represented in an elected upper chamber, which would have more legitimacy to wield its considerable powers.

She’s suggesting that Harper refrain from appointing a full complement of senators from Ontario and Quebec, thereby increasing the weight of western provinces in the chamber.

Ontario and Quebec are each entitled to 24 senators while each of the four western provinces get only six.

Even New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with much smaller populations than B.C., have 10 senators apiece.

After an hour-long meeting Thursday with Harper, Clark reiterated her support for Harper’s reform agenda.

But she added in an interview: “My caveat is I want to make sure British Columbia ends up with better representation as a percentage of the Senate.

“For example, the federal government can consider things like capping the number of senators from Ontario and Quebec. They don’t have an obligation to fill all 24 seats. What if they only filled 16 and British Columbia kept its full complement?”

Clark expressed optimism that Harper will be open to such an idea.

“Stephen Harper’s a westerner and I’m confident that he’s not going to undermine British Columbia’s interests by entrenching what becomes an effective, elected Senate but entrenching one that’s unequal.”

Clark reiterated her personal preference that the Senate be abolished altogether but, if it’s going to be retained, she agrees with Harper that it should be elected.

“Really, there are two choices: to incrementally work toward changing it or just admit that it doesn’t work and abolish the thing.”

A number of provinces maintain that the federal government does not have the authority to unilaterally reform the Senate. Quebec and Ontario have vowed they’ll go to the Supreme Court, if necessary, to ensure Harper doesn’t change the chamber without the consent of at least seven provinces representing 50 per cent of the population.

Clark took issue with that view.

“I’m not a constitutional lawyer but I don’t think they need to get provincial consent in order to do that,” she said.

“If we want to reform the Senate so that it works, we have to start somewhere and standing up and saying that the institution shouldn’t change suggests that they must think that it works. And it doesn’t.”